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| | | A tile roof can add a rich and elegant look to any home, while also providing a durable, fire-safe protective layer that is impervious to insects and rot. It also won't grow mold, stain or lose color over the years. Tiles are usually made of concrete or ceramic clay, and come in a wide range of styles and designs, from traditional to modern. Concrete tile is typically warranted for at least 50 years, and a ceramic clay tile roof is often warranted for 75 years or more. | | |
| Typical costs: | - Concrete tiles cost about $4.50 -$9 a square foot for installing standard-grade tiles, or $7,650 -$19,000 for a basic roof on a one-story ranch-style home (1,700-2,100 square feet of roof). It runs $7 -$10 or more a square foot for deluxe concrete tiles, or $11,900 -$21,000 or more for 1,700-2,100 square feet.
- Installing a roof of ceramic clay tiles starts around $7 -$10 a square foot for lower-grade tiles in standard shapes and earth colors, or $11,900 -$21,000 for a basic 1,700-2,100-square-foot roof. Custom-glazed colors and custom-shaped premium clay tiles can be $10 -$30 or more a square foot, or $17,000 -$63,000 or more for 1,700-2,100 square feet.
- Complex installations -- a steep slope, multiple levels, skylights or other features -- can cost more. ImproveNet.com provides an online roofing calculator that lets you input details about your roof and get a rough estimate for materials and installation.
- These prices typically cover installation only. Costs will vary depending on what's involved, but removing and properly disposing of existing asphalt roofing shingles starts around $3 -$5 a square foot or $510 -$1,100 for a basic ranch-style home -- and can go higher depending on the type of existing roofing materials, the location and the difficulty of the removal project.
What should be included: | - The cost of re-roofing your home will depend in part on the shape and size of its roof. A 1,500-square-foot home might have a 2,100-square-foot roof. BobVila.com provides a description of the basic roofing process and illustrates a list of standard roofing terms such as gabled or hipped.
- Ceramic clay tile is made by firing individual (sometimes hand-shaped) pieces in a kiln, which hardens the raw clay, sets the color glazes and reduces the porosity so it accepts less moisture. Concrete tiles can mimic the look of wood, slate or other roofing materials. . Whether clay or concrete, roofing tiles can be rounded, like the classic half-barrel shape, or flat.
- Tiles are not recommended for a roof with less than an 18-degree slope. Because a tile roof lasts a long time, everything underneath the tile needs to also be high quality and long-lasting. Buildings.com explains four key points in considering clay tile roofs.
Additional costs: | - Tile roofs are heavy. If you're switching to tile from a lighter-weight roofing material, you'll need to have the building inspected by a building engineer and the roof supports possibly reinforced or replaced, easily adding $1,000 -$10,000 or more to the cost.
- If your home is far from the source of the tile, freight costs can add $600 -$1,000 or more to the total price.
Shopping for a tile roof: | - SlateRoofers.org lists sources of new and salvaged ceramic roofing tiles. The Tile Roofing Institute provides a list of roofing tile manufacturers as well as referrals to tile roofing contractors.
- Get estimates from more than one company, and ask for (and check) references. If one quote includes repairs or upgrades to your roof structure, check whether the other estimates also include that work. The National Roofing Contractors Association provides a detailed guide for buying a new roof, as well as referrals to contractors.
- Visit the Contractor's License Reference site to see if the company is licensed in your state, and check if there are any complaints with the Better Business Bureau.
- A written contract should include a detailed outline of the work required and materials used, dates within which the project will be done, and a payment schedule. Be sure you understand exactly what is and isn't included.
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Article updated December 2008 |
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